Facilitation, Technical Assistance, & Public Engagement

Facilitation

ESPA Consulting staff are available to facilitate sessions or meetings in an objective and inclusive manner. A strength of ESPA Consulting, we’ll help your organization and/or community to reach consensus with an emphasis on stakeholder engagement, public involvement, and open discussion.

Technical Assistance

ESPA Consulting staff are experts in our content areas and are available to provide knowledge and skills training and consulting services to help you, your organization, or your community solve your pressing transportation needs. It is our goal to help you provide the most efficient, accessible transportation options in your community.

Public Engagement

Public engagement is about more than just the minimum requirements set forth in regulation. ESPA Consulting has many years of experience in helping communities effectively engage the public and through this bring about positive change.

For more information on how Easterseals Project Action Consulting can assist you with your facilitation, technical assistance, and/or public engagement needs, email your request to ESPAConsulting@easterseals.com.

Accessible Transportation Community Initiative

The Accessible Transportation Community Initiative (ATCI) Project is a systems change model designed to improve access to and use of transportation options in the community. This model combines our facilitation, technical assistance, and public engagement skills to assist selected communities increase or improve accessible transportation. Selected communities receive on-site facilitation and targeted technical assistance during a two-day event to learn the ATCI model and develop an accessible transportation plan. ESPAC continues to provide targeted technical assistance over the subsequent year including an on-site visit while communities implement this plan.

The ATCI framework is a model designed to reach consensus from diverse stakeholders regarding the commitment needed and actions necessary for improving mobility. Over the two-day event, ESPAC staff will facilitate discussion designed to complete the steps below.

Step 1:Establish a sense of urgency – gives everyone an opportunity to bring forth the critical issues around independent mobility for your community.

Step 2:Create a clear vision – allows the group to reach agreement around what you want accessible transportation to be in your community while helping you to become comfortable with the process of working together as a group.

Step 3:Develop an action plan – puts in writing measurable objectives and concrete steps toward achieving the change you agree is needed, including a timeline and assigned tasks.

Step 4:Grow your coalition – allows you to add members to your coalition to include the additional knowledge, influence and support it will need.

Step 5:Structure your coalition – puts in place the things needed to sustain progress over an extended period of time, such as a consistent message to communicate about your efforts and ways to maintain contact among members and keep your group viable and effective.